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hyssopleaf sandmat

sickle spurge

Habit Herbs, annual, with taproot. Herbs, annual, with taproot.
Stems

erect to ascending, 80 cm, sparsely to densely pilose or pilose-crinkled proximally, usually glabrous distally.

erect, unbranched or branched, 5–20 cm, glabrous.

Leaves

opposite;

stipules usually connate, irregularly lacerate, 0.5–1 mm, usually glabrous, occasionally with few marginal hairs;

petiole 1–2 mm, glabrous;

blade lanceolate to oblong or falcate, 8–35 × 7–15 mm, base asymmetric, rounded, margins serrulate, apex broadly acute, abaxial surface glabrous or sparsely pilose toward base, adaxial surface glabrous; palmately veined at base, pinnate distally.

petiole absent;

blade obovate, linear-oblong, or spatulate, 2–20 × 2–10 mm, base cuneate or attenuate, margins entire, apex acute, obtuse, emarginate, or mucronate, surfaces glabrous;

venation usually inconspicuous, sometimes 3-nerved from base, midvein prominent.

Involucre

obconic, 0.9–1.1 × 0.7–0.9 mm, glabrous;

glands 4(–5) (5th gland without appendage), yellow-green to maroon, elliptic to circular, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.3 mm;

appendages spreading, usually white or turning reddish with age, short reniform or semilunate, 0.1–0.3 × 0.2–0.6 mm, distal margin entire or slightly undulate to crenate.

cupulate, 0.5–1.2 × 0.6–1.3 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, elliptic to orbiculate, 0.2–0.3 × 0.3–0.8 mm;

horns usually absent, occasionally divergent, 0.5–1.2 mm.

Staminate flowers

4–15.

6–10.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.5–0.9 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

ovary pilose only at base, styles 0.9–1.1 mm, 2-fid.

Capsules

depressed-ovoid, 1.5–1.6 × 1.7–1.8 mm, glabrous;

columella 1.5–2 mm.

subovoid, 2–3 × 1.8–3 mm, slightly lobed;

cocci rounded, smooth, glabrous or slightly pilose along abaxial region;

columella 1.1–1.8 mm.

Seeds

brown to grayish white, ovoid, slightly 4-angled in cross section, abaxial faces convex, adaxial faces slightly concave to slightly convex, 1–1.4 × 0.7–1.1 mm, with 2–3 prominent transverse ridges that do not interrupt adaxial keel, or coarsely and inconspicuously pitted-reticulate.

grayish, whitish, or light brownish, ovoid, 1.2–1.8 × 0.7–1.1 mm, transversally sulcate;

caruncle subglobose to subconic, 0.2–0.5 × 0.2–0.5 mm.

Cyathia

solitary or in small, cymose clusters occasionally with bractlike leaves at distal nodes or on congested, axillary branches;

peduncle 0.5–2.5 mm.

peduncle 0–2 mm.

Cyathial

arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 2–5, each 2–6 times 2-branched;

pleiochasial bracts similar in shape to but usually shorter and wider than distal leaves;

dichasial bracts distinct, widely ovate, rhombic, or suborbiculate, imbricate, base cordate, truncate or cuneate, margins finely denticulate, apex acute or obtuse, strongly mucronate;

axillary cymose branches 0–10.

2n

= 12, 14.

Euphorbia hyssopifolia

Euphorbia falcata

Phenology Flowering and fruiting late spring–early fall. Flowering and fruiting spring–summer.
Habitat Disturbed areas, ditches, gardens. Waste places, roadsides.
Elevation 0–1500 m. (0–4900 ft.) 0–1600 m. (0–5200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AZ; FL; GA; LA; MS; NM; SC; TX; UT; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in tropical Asia, Africa, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
KY; MD; OH; PA; TN; VA; WV; s Europe; c Europe; w Asia; c Asia; s Asia; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America (Chile)]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia hyssopifolia is native to the New World tropics and is probably also native to parts of the southern United States. However, at least some of the records from the flora area appear to be from adventive plants.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 272. FNA vol. 12, p. 302.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula
Sibling taxa
E. aaron-rossii, E. abramsiana, E. acuta, E. agraria, E. albomarginata, E. alta, E. angusta, E. antisyphilitica, E. arizonica, E. astyla, E. austrotexana, E. bicolor, E. bifurcata, E. bilobata, E. blodgettii, E. bombensis, E. brachycera, E. capitellata, E. carunculata, E. chaetocalyx, E. chamaesula, E. cinerascens, E. commutata, E. conferta, E. cordifolia, E. corollata, E. crenulata, E. cumulicola, E. cuphosperma, E. curtisii, E. cyathophora, E. cyparissias, E. davidii, E. deltoidea, E. dendroides, E. dentata, E. discoidalis, E. eriantha, E. exigua, E. exserta, E. exstipulata, E. falcata, E. fendleri, E. florida, E. floridana, E. garberi, E. georgiana, E. geyeri, E. glyptosperma, E. golondrina, E. gracillima, E. graminea, E. helioscopia, E. helleri, E. heterophylla, E. hexagona, E. hirta, E. hooveri, E. humistrata, E. hypericifolia, E. indivisa, E. innocua, E. inundata, E. ipecacuanhae, E. jaegeri, E. jejuna, E. laredana, E. lasiocarpa, E. lata, E. lathyris, E. longicruris, E. lurida, E. macropus, E. maculata, E. marginata, E. meganaesos, E. melanadenia, E. mendezii, E. mercurialina, E. mesembrianthemifolia, E. micromera, E. misera, E. missurica, E. myrsinites, E. nephradenia, E. nutans, E. oblongata, E. ocellata, E. ophthalmica, E. ouachitana, E. parishii, E. parryi, E. pediculifera, E. peplidion, E. peplus, E. perennans, E. pergamena, E. pinetorum, E. platyphyllos, E. platysperma, E. polycarpa, E. polygonifolia, E. polyphylla, E. porteriana, E. prostrata, E. pubentissima, E. purpurea, E. radians, E. rayturneri, E. revoluta, E. roemeriana, E. rosescens, E. schizoloba, E. serpens, E. serpillifolia, E. serrata, E. serrula, E. setiloba, E. simulans, E. spathulata, E. stictospora, E. strictior, E. telephioides, E. terracina, E. tetrapora, E. texana, E. theriaca, E. thymifolia, E. tithymaloides, E. trachysperma, E. trichotoma, E. vallis-mortae, E. velleriflora, E. vermiculata, E. villifera, E. virgata, E. wrightii, E. yaquiana
E. aaron-rossii, E. abramsiana, E. acuta, E. agraria, E. albomarginata, E. alta, E. angusta, E. antisyphilitica, E. arizonica, E. astyla, E. austrotexana, E. bicolor, E. bifurcata, E. bilobata, E. blodgettii, E. bombensis, E. brachycera, E. capitellata, E. carunculata, E. chaetocalyx, E. chamaesula, E. cinerascens, E. commutata, E. conferta, E. cordifolia, E. corollata, E. crenulata, E. cumulicola, E. cuphosperma, E. curtisii, E. cyathophora, E. cyparissias, E. davidii, E. deltoidea, E. dendroides, E. dentata, E. discoidalis, E. eriantha, E. exigua, E. exserta, E. exstipulata, E. fendleri, E. florida, E. floridana, E. garberi, E. georgiana, E. geyeri, E. glyptosperma, E. golondrina, E. gracillima, E. graminea, E. helioscopia, E. helleri, E. heterophylla, E. hexagona, E. hirta, E. hooveri, E. humistrata, E. hypericifolia, E. hyssopifolia, E. indivisa, E. innocua, E. inundata, E. ipecacuanhae, E. jaegeri, E. jejuna, E. laredana, E. lasiocarpa, E. lata, E. lathyris, E. longicruris, E. lurida, E. macropus, E. maculata, E. marginata, E. meganaesos, E. melanadenia, E. mendezii, E. mercurialina, E. mesembrianthemifolia, E. micromera, E. misera, E. missurica, E. myrsinites, E. nephradenia, E. nutans, E. oblongata, E. ocellata, E. ophthalmica, E. ouachitana, E. parishii, E. parryi, E. pediculifera, E. peplidion, E. peplus, E. perennans, E. pergamena, E. pinetorum, E. platyphyllos, E. platysperma, E. polycarpa, E. polygonifolia, E. polyphylla, E. porteriana, E. prostrata, E. pubentissima, E. purpurea, E. radians, E. rayturneri, E. revoluta, E. roemeriana, E. rosescens, E. schizoloba, E. serpens, E. serpillifolia, E. serrata, E. serrula, E. setiloba, E. simulans, E. spathulata, E. stictospora, E. strictior, E. telephioides, E. terracina, E. tetrapora, E. texana, E. theriaca, E. thymifolia, E. tithymaloides, E. trachysperma, E. trichotoma, E. vallis-mortae, E. velleriflora, E. vermiculata, E. villifera, E. virgata, E. wrightii, E. yaquiana
Synonyms Chamaesyce hyssopifolia, E. jonesii, E. stenomeres Tithymalus falcatus
Name authority Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1048. (1759) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 456. (1753)
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